Manual:Infantry Manual:Equipment:Rations

4.07 Rations
Over the course of history, the most important requirement of any army has been and continues to be nour-ishing: food. Ironically, this requirement also tends to be the most overlooked during the course of any con-flict. In the modern Corps, the food rations may never be the most succulent or tasty, but they will always pro-vide marines with all the fuel they will ever need.

Garrison Rations (G-Ration)
Regulations, and good practice, require that marines be provided with meals utilizing fresh produce and meats, baked breads and pastries, and various drinks. While replicated meals can be used in certain situa-tions, all personnel agree that nothing beats a good meal prepared by a cook. Under no condition are G-Rations considered standardized, though there are widely distributed and approved recipes available, cooks take pride in creating new dishes for their units. Field and battlefield usage of G-Rations are dependent on the current situation, but marines are provided with fresh food whenever possible.

Field Rations (F-Rations)
In battlefield conditions and other similar situations where organized food services cannot be deployed, the best option for a hot prepared meal is the F-Ration. F-Rations are preserved, prepackaged rations that are designed to closely mimic the food available in established canteens. Quality of the food is questionable in the opinion of most marines, but this option is still better than the alternatives.

Individual Rations (I-Rations)
The most common ration that a marine will encounter while in battlefield conditions is the ambiguous I-Ration. Designed to provide the individual with essential dietary requirements and caloric intake. The package con-tains: an entrée, side dish, dessert/candy/snack, fiber in the form of crackers or bread, a beverage mix to fla-vor the marine’s liquid refreshment, utensils, and an accessories bag with various perishable necessities. The whole package will generally weigh in at 500 to 750 grams, and there are varieties for every species. In cases where the food can be heated (all food is safe to eat cold), the individual item’s packaging will have an electro-thermal lining that can accept power from the SMAU suite and reheat the item to the appropriate temperature.

March Ration (M-Ration)
While unfortunate, there are conditions that exist that require the individual marine to eat without being able to stop. For these situations, nourishment must take the form of “eat out of hand” foods that require no preparation on the part of the individual marine. Typically, all the foods will be pastes, bars, or pellets that are easy to ingest while on the move. The M-Ration packages will also not include any accessories or a way for the food to be heated.

Quick Ration (Q-Ration)
When nourishment must be ingested and there is no time for even an M-Ration, the individual marine will turn to the Quick Ration. The Q-Ration is nothing more than a bar of concentrated nutrients, vitamins, and other dietary requirements. Advertised as a meal replacement bar, a single bar has all the dietary requirements needed by an individual marine for 8-10 hours of strenuous activity.